Paula Deen Goulash
Two pounds of ground beef, two cans of diced tomatoes, a can of tomato sauce and two cups of dry elbow macaroni, all simmered in one Dutch oven. The pasta cooks in the sauce rather than in a separate pot, so the starch it releases thickens everything around it. A tablespoon of soy sauce is the savory note nobody guesses.
Ingredients
House Seasoning
- 1 tbsp (15 g) salt
- 1 1/2 tsp black pepper freshly ground
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Goulash
- 2 lbs (900 g) lean ground beef
- 2 yellow onions chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 cups (480 ml) water
- 1 can (15 oz) (425 g) tomato sauce
- 2 cans (14.5 oz) (822 g) diced tomatoes undrained
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) soy sauce
- 2 tsp (4 g) Italian seasoning
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp (15 g) house seasoning see above
- 1 tbsp (15 g) seasoned salt such as Lawry's
- 2 cups (200 g) elbow macaroni uncooked
Equipment
- Large Dutch Oven or Soup Pot
- wooden spoon
Instructions
Mix the Seasoning
- Make the house seasoning: In a small bowl, stir together the salt, freshly ground black pepper and garlic powder. Set it aside. You will use 1 tablespoon of the mix in the pot.
Brown the Beef
- Brown the ground beef: In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until no pink remains. Spoon off most of the rendered grease, leaving a little behind for flavor.
- Soften the aromatics: Add the chopped onions and minced garlic to the beef and cook about 5 minutes, until the onions have softened and the pot smells sweet rather than sharp.
Simmer with the Macaroni
- Build the sauce: Add the tomato sauce, both cans of diced tomatoes with their juices, the water, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, soy sauce, seasoned salt and 1 tablespoon of the house seasoning. Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Cook the pasta in the pot: Stir in the dry elbow macaroni, cover the pot and simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes so nothing sticks to the bottom.
Rest and Serve
- Rest off the heat: Remove the pot from the heat and lift out the bay leaves. Let it stand uncovered for about 30 minutes so the pasta finishes absorbing liquid and the sauce tightens around it.
- Serve: Ladle into bowls and serve hot, with garlic bread, cornbread muffins or a sharp green salad alongside.
Notes
The macaroni goes in dry. Cooking it in the tomato base is what thickens the sauce and puts flavor into the pasta.
The 30 minute rest off the heat is not optional. The pasta is still swelling when the pot comes off the burner, and skipping the rest gives you soup with pasta in it.
Make the house seasoning as a batch: 4 parts salt to 1 part black pepper to 1 part garlic powder. You need 1 tablespoon here and the rest keeps in a jar.
Between the seasoned salt and the house seasoning the pot is well salted, so taste before adding any more.
Storage: refrigerate up to 4 days in an airtight container and reheat gently with a splash of water. To freeze, cook the pasta separately and freeze the sauce alone for up to 3 months, then combine after reheating, because twice-heated macaroni turns soft.
Swap the beef for ground turkey pound for pound, add a diced green bell pepper with the onions, or stir 2 cups of shredded cheddar through at the end.
Nutrition values are an estimate.
Nutrition
Calories: 370kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4.5g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 1100mg | Potassium: 900mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 360IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 4mg